New deal on the cards in Tube dispute

More than 4,000 Tube station staff are to vote on a new proposal aimed at settling the dispute over safe staffing levels at London Underground stations.

After five days of negotiations with management, the RMT union said it now has a proposal to recommend to its members.

The proposed agreement includes provision for the safety validation, involving union reps, of new rosters for stations yet to agree to the new system.

“Any remaining disagreements over rosters will be referred back to a working party at general secretary level for resolution,” said RMT general secretary Bob Crow.

“The final decision rests, as always, with RMT members, who will vote in a referendum which will end on 27 January.”

If union members reject the proposal, industrial action will be stepped up, Crow said.

RMT members have already taken two days’ industrial action, on New Year’s Eve and earlier this month, because they claim the new rostering system is unsafe.